


Easy Money

by robotrolecall



Series: A Collection of Great Dance Songs [1]
Category: Futurama
Genre: Asking Out, Bender being Bender, Bender does something impulsive, Bender falls in love, Developing Relationship, Lemmings (game) - Freeform, M/M, Mutual Pining, OC/Canon, Reassembly, Robot Learns to Love, Tending to Wounds, Yearning, alcohol consumption, cliff jumping, drugs (mentioned), lots of yearning, robot accepts love, robot repair, seemingly one-sided pining, self-insert/canon - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:09:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25964140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robotrolecall/pseuds/robotrolecall
Summary: Bender’s impulse control was never the best, especially when angered. When his co-worker assists him in crisis, his principles as a robot are pushed to their limits.Fic title is named after the King Crimson song. Read notes for more info!
Relationships: Bender Rodriguez/Crow the Lemming, Bender Rodriguez/OC, Bender Rodriguez/Self-Insert
Series: A Collection of Great Dance Songs [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1903351
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah so uhhhhhh I got into Futurama a week ago and fell in love with Bender ;w;
> 
> After making a playlist of songs that reminded me of Bender (one of them being Easy Money), I wrote this fic in the span of 4 days. Crow the lemming is also my fursona, and it wasn’t that difficult to insert him into the Futurama universe. Also put in a brief cameo of my Lomax passion project ;)
> 
> I hope you like this story! Feedback is appreciated.

The Planet Express employees finished their last delivery of the day, flocking to the base to discuss future plans and finish earlier conversations that were placed on the back burner. 

“You’ve been a part of the main unit of Planet Express for a couple of months now, yet you really haven’t told us about yourself. Why’s that?” asked Fry, who was in the midst of opening a bag of chips. While he, Leela, and Bender were chatty with Crow, they didn’t know him well enough outside of work.

“I don’t like being perceived by others.” The interplanetary rodent said nonchalantly, taking a seat on the couch. He sat directly next to Bender, who was swirling the small amount of alcohol left in its glass bottle, disinterested in the conversation. At the same time, Fry’s chip bag exploded, bits and pieces of fatty, crispy goodness falling onto the floor. 

“Now that’s just _stupid!_ ” Bender side-eyed Crow and rudely moved himself to the opposite side of the loveseat. “People are gonna look at you either way no matter where you are.” 

“Was there something wrong on your home planet?” The team captain wondered curiously. 

“Nah.”

“Did you commit war crimes and flee to avoid consequences?” The red-headed delivery boy queried intrusively. 

“What the— _hell_ no!” Crow’s tone became frustrated. 

“This guy’s boring. Why did we even hire this washed-up rookie anyways?” Bender took a swig from his glass of malt liquor.

“Come on, Bender. Don’t be a jerk. Crow’s a cool guy!” Fry attempted to lighten up the mood. 

“You don’t have to cover for me, Fry. I can speak for myself.”

“I’m not covering for you. Plus, Farnsworth needed an extra hand with cargo and inventory on the ship and that’s why he hired you.” 

“Probably found him on the street...” Bender grumbled. 

“If you all desperately want to know why I moved to New New York, it’s because it’s so vast and large. Nobody really knows who you are, and I’m comfortable with that sense of anonymity.” The newest workman explained, ignoring Bender’s judgment. 

“Leaving your home for a clean slate, huh? I get it.” Leela commented. Fry crouched on the floor, dejectedly picking up food scraps with his right hand to throw into the garbage can. 

“My planet, on the other hand, was _very_ tight-knit. It wasn’t a bad thing by any chance, but it’s _really_ uncomfortable when almost every person there knows your name. I felt like I had no privacy.”

“God, it’s like _Cheers,_ but in hell!” Fry gasped. 

“I guess so.” Crow laughed. “I just wanted a change, is all. I actually was born in New New York, but my parents moved back to our home planet when I was a couple of years old.”

“Oh my God, can you stop beating around the bush and tell us where you’re from, furbag?” Bender hollered impatiently. Instead of taking offense to the robot’s fresh remark, his lips curled up as he contained his laughter. 

“Since your hollering has reignited my fit of tinnitus, why don’t you sit closer to me so I can tell you about it? I can’t hear your complaints any other way.” 

“Fine.” He propped himself up and sat directly next to his co-worker, still aggravated.

“I’m from the planet Lemmingland, around two light years from here.” 

“Seriously? I heard the scenery is beautiful out there!” Leela exclaimed. “Their most durable weapons were crafted by a single blacksmith and are very hard to come by on other planets.”

“That’s right! It’s really cool. I have a sword from Lemmingland preserved in a glass cave hanging up on the wall in my apartment.” His eyes darted to Bender, whose mischievous hand reached for the zipper on his fanny pack. “Don’t get any ideas, buddy.” 

Flustered, Bender crossed his arms. “I only wanted one of your strawberry candies!” He said, feigning despondency. He finished the last bit of liquor in the bottle and chucked it onto the floor. 

“However, Lemmingland is far from perfect. It had a corrupt monarchy who was massacring its people by tampering their food with the seeds of a poisonous plant. The original blacksmith—Dahlia—died because she refused to make weapons for the royal army. Her reason? She wanted to take care of her son.” Leela and Fry stared at the lemming, their interest in the retelling piqued. 

“This actually happened a couple of years ago. The person who found out about the crimes against humanity was actually Dahlia’s son, Lomax. He’s considered a hero and is the reason why the monarchy was completely dismantled! The sword I own was made by Dahlia and was given to me as a college graduation gift by my parents, who now,” Crow stopped talking in order to get out a guffaw. “currently reside in New Jersey.” Bender broke into hysterics alongside the storyteller. Simply mentioning “New Jersey,” or any city or town in the state, was an inside joke between the newbie and experienced laborer. 

“Thanks for the history lesson, _Einstein._ You come from a planet of giant furry rodents.” Rolling his eyes insolently, the robot’s attitude shifted drastically. “ _Big deal.”_

“And _you_ tried to steal my room keys to get the sword.” Crow talked back smugly. There was a moment of silence as Bender clutched his hands in frustration. 

“This rat bastard’s been schooling me since he got here!” The robot pouted, pointing directly at the green-haired employee.

“You know, Bender. It’s a damn good thing we have someone as snarky as you to keep you in check.” Leela remarked, giving a sympathetic pat on Crow’s shoulder. “Thank you for sharing a little bit about yourself with us, by the way. It was very interesting!” She smiled appreciatively, her response and attitude being a polar opposite to Bender. 

Crow mouthed a “sorry” to Bender, who was on a garbled, irate tirade. Accepting that he wasn’t going to get the drama queen back to his senses through words, he brushed his hand against the robot’s back. The smooth, cold yet alleviating metal sent a chill down his spine. His palm still on Bender, he was immediately startled by the worker making eye contact with him, visibly soothed. Alarmed, he quickly yanked his hand off of Bender and began to perspire. “Eheheh.” Crow greeted in a dry voice, a small, toothy grin on his face.

“‘Sup?” Bender replied as if nothing happened. The two were still staring at one another in a quizzical stupor. Neither of them could read each other’s minds, but all they could think of was their golden rule when it came to causing problems: Do not tell anyone. 

“You’re supposed to be a _lemming_?” The red-head squinted and scratched his head, having completely ignored the story about the sword, the brief history of Lemmingland, and Bender’s tantrum. “You look like the ones from that old computer game from the 20th century.” 

“Oh, yeah. Some European game developers took inspiration from my people. So much so we filed a lawsuit against them and won!” Crow chuckled.

“Wow. No wonder why you only find rip-off versions of that game…” he munched on the scraps of chips left in the popped bag. 

“Oh, hey! I know that planet!” Bender chimed in, lighting up a cigar. “It’s the one where every couple of years they jump off cliffs!”

“Aside from that claim originating from a bullcrap documentary, I haven’t jumped off a cliff, _have I?_ ” Crow pursed his lips, mildly offended.

The machine exchanged a dirty look to Crow with half-lidded optics, blowing cigar smoke into the air in a streamlined cloud. “I’d like to see you try, fleabag.”

“No thanks, I’m good.” The lemming declined, placing his hands behind his back, sinking deeper into the chair. 

His smoke between his index and middle finger, he instantaneously got up from the couch and stood in front of Crow. Counting his antenna, he towered over the five-foot critter, unfazed by his pathetic attempt at intimidation. “I just have to do _everything_ myself around here, huh?” 

Crow blinked, confused as to what prompted Bender’s response. Without saying another word, he walked out of the Planet Express building, arms akimbo. 

“Where’s he going?” Crow frantically inquired, immediately turning to Fry. All the man gave in return was a lazy shrug. 

“Bender and I may be friends, but I don’t control where he goes. Sorry, Crow. You’re on your own.” An irritated sigh exited the creature’s nostrils. Times like these made him wish Fry took things more seriously. 

Darting to the exit, he followed the robot in hot pursuit. “I‘ll be right back!” With the sliding doors sealed shut, Leela and Fry looked at one another, baffled. 

“I dunno what he’s doing, but I think this is the first time one of us has gone after Bender when he throws one of his tantrums. He forgot his phone, too.” Fry pointed to the smartphone planted atop the couch cushion. 

Unbothered, Leela changed the subject. “Next time we have the day off, we’re taking Crow out for drinks. Have any ideas?”


	2. Chapter 2

“Bender, what the hell are you doing?” Crow called out, his pace increasing. He trailed behind the deserter while twisting and turning through the blocks of New New York City, frequently having near-misses with tourists and city inhabitants.

“I’m gonna go jump off a cliff!” The machine answered determinedly. Bender slowed down his pace, allowing Crow to catch up with him. 

“There are no cliffs around here, so where exactly are you going to jump?” 

“We’re going to the Palisades, baby!” Now in arm’s reach, he took Crow’s hand with no sign of letting go and entered the Tube Transport System. The runaways traveled upwards and out of the futuristic city, the skyscrapers becoming a blur in every which way. 

“We? What do you mean _‘we?’_ ” Crow often avoided the TSS as he felt it was unsafe, but was comforted by Bender’s grip. “And why did you call me ‘baby?’” He added on, albeit quietly, his curly hair blowing in his face. 

“Heard that!” Bender snickered. 

“Still doesn’t answer my question.”

“I call everyone ‘baby.’ You’re just too busy at work listening to your Pink Floyds and King Crimsons to pay attention.” The robot teased. 

“Well, this is the first time I’m hearing it be directed towards me!” 

“You got a problem with that?” 

“...No, not really.” Crow’s face reddened.

“Thought so.” 

Crow observed the scenery underneath the clear tube, somewhat able to decipher what they were passing through. “I think we’re coming up to the Palisades. We’re by Nyack.”

“Wow, you actually know where we’re going!” Bender chuffed. “I thought you were ‘scared’ of the TTS.”

“I still am, jackass.” He commented in a deadpan manner. “Some of my earliest memories I have are when I lived in this area of New New York. I read in a history book that in the late 20th and 21st century, there was a huge shopping mall in the area that was built atop a landfill! It even had a huge store where you could build your own robot.”

Bender’s eyes rolled to the back of his head. “Yeah, right.” He said, unconvinced.

“Well, they were toy robots. _Obviously_ I should’ve been more specific _._ Look—there’s our exit!” Crow pointed to the opening of the TTS. “You don’t think we’ll land head first?”

“Nah, the TTS is an incredibly reliable—“

Bender fell face first onto the ground with a loud clang _,_ followed by the critter landing atop of him with a thud, the side of his face pressed against the bending unit’s frigid, metallic exterior. 

“...form of transportation.” Bender cringed uncomfortably. 

“I… should’ve let go of your hand before we landed. I’m sorry.” Crow murmured, guilt-ridden. He lifted himself up and saw he had little to no scratches. “You’re pointier than I thought, too.” The lemming peered at his surroundings and figured out that he and Bender were on a hiking trail.

“Don’t feel bad about it.” Bender brushed off, using his arms to pick himself off the ground. The foundation on the ground was slightly cracked where he landed, though his body was unscathed. _If anything, I should’ve been the one to let go,_ Bender quickly thought, bewildered by his own actions. “But I think it’s important to tell you that you landed _right_ on my ass.” 

A loud yelp bored out of Crow’s throat, quickly cutting it off by concealing his face with his mitts. The high-rolling Planet Express employee ensued his walk up a rocky, dirt path to the top of the miraculously preserved cliff. “Watch out, furbag. I’ve got a job to do.”

“Are you _crazy?_ Do you know how high up the Palisades are?” 

“Two hundred to five hundred feet depending on what side you’re on.” Bender bragged proudly. “This cliff’s around two hundred-fifty.”

“You’ll get seriously hurt!”

“I’m sure _your_ brethren survived when they did it.” Bender jeered, placing his hands behind his back, intertwining his fingers. “And I’m certain a _measly, little_ robot like _me_ can take it!” He goaded in a sing-song voice, puckishly digging his left foot in the dirt, moving his leg side to side, and swaying his body back and forth.

The lemming’s face squinched in annoyance, a low growl rising. “Fine! Have it your way.” He threw his hands in the air while turning himself around, walking away from Bender. He sucked in a deep breath and exhaled after holding it in for a few seconds. After hearing the robot run up the trail, giggling diabolically, his irritation transitioned into fear. Panicked, Crow looked at the path that led to the base of the cliff, and the one that led to the top. _What would be the best path to take?_ He wondered to himself, his inner monologue drowning out the sound of his feet compulsively tapping the floor. _Think, Crow, think! There has to be a chance where if Bender_ does _fall, he’ll be okay._ He recalled the words of Professor Farnsworth before their departure for a delivery. 

_“The land on this planet is very unstable and can break any second, which is why I gave you all parachutes in case you need to break your fall! Use them wisely, as they are the only parachutes I ordered.”_

“That’s it!” Crow snapped his fingers. “Bender should still have the parachute in his chest compartment. I just need to get there on time to tell him so he won’t hurt himself! There’s still ti—“

“Looky here, pansy!” Bender called out cockily, interrupting the lemming’s game plan. He was at the top of the cliff. “I told you so.”

 _Son of a bitch._ “Bender, wait until I get down there!” He cupped his hands over his mouth, amplifying his voice. “Don’t jump!” He zipped down the path to the basin of the cliffs, monitoring Bender through the open spots of light between the leafy trees. 

“What did you say?” His voice echoed condescendingly. _“‘Do_ jump?’”

“Don’t play these games with me, Bender!” The lemming progressively lost his breath from running. “Do—not—jump!” He gasped for air. The stubborn robot looked down the towering cliff, the basin consisting of stones and more dirt. Beyond the cliff, the skyline of New New York City began to glow as the sun was at its beginning of setting. Crow, still running, witnessed Bender turn around, walking away from the edge of the cliff. _Yes!_ While lemming got closer and closer to the bottom of the rock face, a foreboding silence fell through the thickened air, the wind imperceptibly swaying the tree branches. The sharp noise of metal clanging on rock pierced the lemming’s heart with an unfamiliar despair. " _Why_ didn’t I think about the possibility of him getting a running start?” Crow groaned, facepalming. “Bender!” He yelled with all the energy he could muster. “Check your—“ Bender fell so quickly from the cliff that he couldn’t even see him. His sentence was cut off by the sound of metal colliding with the ground, scattering in all directions, reverberating throughout the sky. Nausea rising in his stomach, Crow’s knees buckled and he collapsed into a fetal position. The Planet Express employee was petrified to look at the remains of Bender, unable to scream in anguish.


	3. Chapter 3

After a couple of minutes, the mortified lemming slowly unshielded his eyes, hyper aware that it was getting dark. He had seen Bender be injured before, but not in such a brutal way like falling from such a great height. He needed to act fast, and the first thing he needed to do was find remnants of him. Arising from the rough ground, he tiptoed into the soil, looking everywhere he could to find a part of Bender. “Bender?” He called out. “Where are you?” 

“Down here, you bastard!” He yelled irritably. To the right of Crow was Bender’s head, fully functioning and obnoxious as ever. He couldn’t have been more relieved to hear his voice. 

“Bender! You’re alive!” He scooped up his head and cradled it happily, although with some strain, not expecting him to be so hefty.

“Alright, alright, cut the dramatics. I told you I could take it!” Bender, who normally would push Crow off to stop his smothering, remained motionless with a puss face. 

“Where’s the rest of your body? The sun is going down and we can’t be out here!” Crow put down Bender’s head and squatted to talk to him. “Heh. For once, I’m taller than you.” 

“Not for long, half-pint. My torso, arms, and legs shouldn’t be far. I’m pretty heavy.”

“How heavy?” 

“Five hundred twenty-five pounds, baby. Forty percent zinc, forty percent titanium, and thirty percent iron.” He declared proudly. 

“Nonsense. That adds up to one hundred ten percent!” Crow refuted, trying to drag Bender’s torso on the rocks. He saw a patch of grass a couple of yards away in close proximity to the rest of his body and changed his course of action. 

“Doesn’t matter. I’m made of the finest metals out there.” Crow picked up the robot’s head once more. “Where the hell are you taking me?” Bender interrogated. 

“To that little grass area.” He pointed. “I’m going to put you back together.”

“Nuh-uh. You better get your grubby, furry hands off of me!” Bender refused stubbornly. 

“You really can’t do anything without the rest of your body.” he placed his head on the soft foliage and walked back to the scattered pieces of the angry robot. 

“You love to torture me, don’t you Crow?” The robot squinted. 

“If taking care of you constitutes as torture, then yes!” Crow remarked matter-of-factly, confident in his ability to fix Bender.

“One more thing: you better not give me that ‘I was _so_ worried about you’ shtick. _Nobody_ worries about Bender.” He watched Crow lug his hollow torso, getting fed up by Crow’s unresponsiveness. “You got that?” He raised his voice, trying to be assertive. 

“You’re heavier than you look.” Crow answered, ignoring the robot’s demands. He went mute, pondering if he offended the lemming. _This guy’s got me acting soft!_ He complained to himself. He shut his eyes while he began to muster up the courage to say something to Crow, who was in front of him with his steel chest. 

“I—I take back what I said!” He blurted, hearing Crow grunt as he put the other part of his body onto the grass with a light thump. “You can worry about me, just this once.”

The green-haired creature lifted Bender’s flummoxed head, gingerly screwing it back into place. “I’ll worry about you even when you’re _not_ a bunch of scrap metal.” He lightly beamed at the smart-mouthed bending unit. “I’ll be back with your arms. Hang tight!” In spite of how physically laborious it would be to put a robot back together, Crow sauntered to the heap of parts with a spring in his step. 

Bender sat there, armless and legless, not pondering why a plucky lemming like Crow cared so much about a selfish, scheming, lecherous robot like himself, but _why_ he looked at him with such an amount of trust and comfort. It confused him how a simple tap on the back, from his _coworker_ of all people, ceased his earlier outburst. Not wanting to think about it much longer, he dismissed it as a one-time thing. All the vulnerable robot could do was watch Crow return with his limbs, anticipating to be reassembled. 


	4. Chapter 4

“Do these things fall into place like _Tetris_ blocks?” Asked Crow. “I can’t really weld or solder your arms back together.”

“See for yourself.” Bender answered, exhausted. 

“You okay? Are you becoming sober?”

“Would I be talking in coherent sentences if I was sober?” He asked rhetorically. Crow shook his head, too tongue-tied to respond.

Taking Bender’s left arm, he twisted it in the socket until a satisfying click was heard. “That was easy!”

“Don’t get cocky, meatbag.” 

Crow giggled as he placed his right arm into place. While focusing on Bender, the lemming began to realize how deep his adoration for him truly was. Despite the relatively empty threats and times where they were at each other’s throats, the two always made up at the end. Even when they both got into what Leela called “The Smartass Contest,” where they would rally snide remarks at one another, they always knew there was no venom in their refutes. A part of him was a bit astonished Bender was allowing him to reconstruct his body, because he was always picky with who could touch him when in need of a quick fix or surgery. Crow deduced that it was because Bender miraculously trusted him with what essentially was his life. It became apparent Crow lost focus on him, for his deep thinking was interrupted by the machine’s impatient shrill of “Get your furry ass moving!” 

“Sorry, Bender.” Crow frowned. “Your arms weren’t that heavy, so I’ll be able to carry both your legs without much issue.” He walked away once more. A sullen look overtook Bender’s face, peering at the peach colored sky contemplatively. While it wasn’t very good for his “macho” image, it did feel nice knowing and seeing that Crow was looking out for him, even when he did something stupid or got into trouble. “I’m gonna have to have you lie down so I can put your legs back on.” 

“You don’t wanna do that.” Bender said immediately after, looking to the left and right of his unfamiliar surroundings in a panicked state. 

“You’re quick to object.”

“...God.” his groan was elongated and drawn out.

“Pssh, it can’t be _that_ bad.”

“This is gonna sound embarrassing, but you know how turtles can’t get back up when their shells are turned over?” Bender started. 

“It happens to you, too? That’s not embarrassing.”

“How’d you guess?” His tired eyes briefly widened. 

“Context clues and critical thinking skills, of course.”

“Don‘t be a wise-ass.” Bender sneered. “So yeah, I can’t get up when I fall onto my back. You better not tell anyone about it.” Crow gave the robot a thumbs up, trying to persuade him. “If you’ll keep your trap shut, you can put me back down.” He sighed apprehensively. Crow’s pointer finger was in front of his lips, signaling that Bender’s secret was safe with him. Getting on his knees, Crow sat a couple of inches away from Bender and placed his two hands onto his shoulders. Once again, the robot’s feelings of worry dissipated. Holding his breath, the lemming pushed all his weight onto the machine, slowly tipping him over. Paying attention to the shifting weight, he clasped his left hand on Bender’s back and attentively lowered him onto the grass. Crow caught his breath, relieved that he didn’t injure Bender even more. 

“Given your track record of dropping precious cargo, I’m impressed.” Bender praises. 

“I’m not _that_ much of a klutz, I swear! You always catch me at a bad time.” Crow protested staunchly.

“Not always.” He laughed heartily. “I caught you at a good time just now.” The two smart-alecs exchanged looks of content, until catching themselves looking for too long. 

“Are you still nervous?” Crow jerked his head sheepishly, inserting Bender’s right leg into its place. 

“Not at all.” Bender reassured while reminding himself to not get too close for comfort. “Wait, how’d you know?”

“I heard it in your voice.” Crow said pridefully, clicking his left leg into its receptacle. 

“There you go again, sauce-box. Now is _not_ the time for a battle of wits.”

“Well, you’ve been officially reassembled!” Crow stood up and slapped his hands together, getting rid of excess dirt. “Try and get up.”

Bender attempted to move his arm and felt his arm tense up in discomfort. He tried his other arm, along with his legs, but to no avail. “I can’t move, you know that?” He complained. “I can’t move, and hurts like a _bitch!_ ” 

“Has this happened before?”

“Does it matter? You still have to clean up the mess _I_ made.” He directly blamed himself for the circumstances that led him here. Normally he would blame Crow, but it was one of the few times he took responsibility. It was ridiculous to him—taking Crow by the hand in the TTS, that is. He was always hugging Fry and they both engaged male bonding (for example: wrestling), so what made being around Crow any different? He was never the type to regret the decisions he made, no matter how rash they were. Bender took immense pride in his impulsiveness, but his impetuous hand-holding was one of the very few things he lamented. Fatigued and fed up with his own actions, he let his thoughts drift away, hoping that he would lose them for good. 

“I think I have an idea on how to get yourself back in the groove again.” Crow said confidently. 


	5. Chapter 5

“Oh, come the hell _on!”_ Bender whined. “You’re not stretching my arms and legs like I’m a goddamn Slinky!”

“People do it, lemmings do it, so what makes a robot any different?” Crow asked. 

“I just don’t want people man-handling my arms and legs. And it _hurts!”_

“Bender, that’s the second time you’ve said it hurts. Plus, we have no other choice. We are _not_ spending the night here because it’s dangerous. I don’t want Farnsworth and the rest of Planet Express going on a search party, either.” Crow said gravely, looking at the ticked off robot. He felt like if the crew saw the two of them together, they would be slammed with questions. “I can’t carry you all the way up to the TTS, either.” Crow felt like Bender was more human than machine whenever they made physical contact with one another. His cold exterior was something that he adored more than anything. The occasional moments Bender’s arm rested on his shoulder and the countless times they high-fived after a successful delivery reinforced this. Crow longed to hold Bender in his arms, even if it was for a split second. He harbored immense love for the drunken, choleric, lustful Bender and hated himself for it. “Let me help you.” He implored, pushing down the feelings of guilt. “Just this once.” 

“You’re not getting any sentimental bullcrap outta me, if that’s what you’re trying to do.” He bitched, masking his awareness of Crow’s callback from earlier. 

“What in _God’s_ name are you talking about?” Crow laughed at his preposterous outburst. 

Bender went quiet, suppressing his vocalization that he wanted his assistance in some way. Come to think of it, there was a lot about his co-worker that he didn’t want to acknowledge or disclose. Having been reassembled by him wasn’t much help for his conflicting feelings about the lemming, who since the incident was repulsively sweet to him. The Planet Express employees were dealing with their feelings in completely different ways: one accepting it (albeit shamefully), and one doing everything in their power to reject it. The latter was failing miserably, falling right back into his contemplative state. 

“Just get to it.” He clamored lowly. Crow closely examined Bender’s arms to see if there was any external damage. Not finding anything suspect, he studied the android’s legs, getting the same results as before. 

_“¡Ándale, ándale!”_ Bender spat. 

“I was just checking for scuffs and dents!” Crow explained, walking to the left side of him. Taking note and paying close attention to the procedures Dr. Zoidberg did on Bender whenever he was injured, he recalled that his arms and legs can extend. Making a very premature hypothesis that the mechanism that makes his arms and legs lengthen was stuck, he grabbed one of Bender’s arm with both hands—one on the machine’s wrist and the other on his forearm. A sudden yelp came out of Bender, an indication that he was still in pain. 

“Sorry about that.” Crow’s tone was apologetic. “This will only hurt for a—second!” He heard the pleasant sound of a pop, watching the robot’s limb manually extending with every backwards step he took. “Does it still hurt?” He inquired, moving Bender’s arm out a few more inches. Bender answered with a tense wail. “Try and retract your arm.” Crow suggested. Hesitantly, Bender shook his left arm slightly, watching it return to him at its regular pace. “Great!” Overjoyed his method was effective, Crow repeated the process for the rest of Bender’s appendages, much to the automaton’s chagrin. 

“Are you done yet?” Bender asked desperately, weakly reaching his arms out so Crow could help him sit up. He felt his upper body be hauled vertically until he was completely upright. 

“Not yet. There’s one more thing I have to do.” Crow sat on the turf beside Bender, his paw on the robot’s arm. “It looks like your arms are tense from the fall.”

“Okay, and?” He quickly moved his limb to prevent Crow from touching it, expelling a nervous laugh, still throbbing in pain. To his displeasure, the lemming wrapped his hands around his arm. 

“You just need to get the blood—err, transmission fluid flowing through your limbs.”

“You could give me all the morphine in the world and it _still_ wouldn’t numb the pain.” Bender demurred, observing Crow’s efforts to squeeze his limb in increments. He watched him repeatedly bend and draw out his arm, completely entranced by the way his mitts felt on his steel forelimb. The warm, fuzzy texture of Crow’s hands tracing his other arm reproduced the feelings he had when his fingertips made contact with his back at Planet Express headquarters. Going by how low the sun was in the violet sky, it was forty minutes ago since his fall. He shifted his attention to Crow, who tuned out everything around him to get him back into shape. 

The sun, almost completely out of the sky, dappled Crow’s forest green hair and emerald eyes with a light, orange sheen. His tongue stuck out a little and one of his eyes was squinting in deep focus, his hair puffy from the humidity. Bender could tell his palms were clammy, just by way the lemming’s hands would get slightly stuck to his arm. After putting down his right arm, Crow went straight to his legs, lifting one of them up by the ankle and holding it for a couple of seconds, and moving it back down. He repeated this step for Bender’s opposite leg and compressed his digits from where his legs began to where they ended. His circuitry fluttered at the prospect of how delicate and gentle Crow was with his body. He was so used to being slammed onto an operating table, feeling sharp jabs of discomfort as his arms or legs were shoved into place like clockwork. 

Crow saw him as more than just a hunk of metal whose parts were as easily repairable as they could be destroyed. He viewed Bender as something precious, something valuable, something to be cherished. He paid no mind to his excessive drinking, smoking, and other sleazy activities, only freaking out whenever he was hurt. Bender was never the type to pay attention to details, but all he could see in Crow was his features and mannerisms that made him so curious, so fascinated, so allured. 

“I think I’m done now.” Crow dried his hands using his shorts, taking a couple of steps away from Bender to give him room.

Bender exited his daze recognizing the lemming’s voice, a clang of disappointment settling in. Without difficulty, he planted his hands on the dirt and rose hurriedly. Still in denial, he dismissed his relaxation was an innocuous reaction to being massaged. 

“Don’t get up so fast, Bender. You might fall over again.” Crow advised, yawning and stretching his arms. 

“My God, you look _awful!”_ Bender shouted, observing Crow’s tired eyes, dirt covered shorts, and sweaty, sleeveless shirt.

“And to my surprise, you’ve never looked better.” Crow gaffed, wiping away sweat from his brow using the back of his wrist. “Can you give me some of that pep in your step?”

“Eh,” Bender smirked. “I’ll think about it.” Crow slowly trotted up the steep incline, staring at his bare feet with every step he took in the blooming night. Following behind him, Bender was extra careful to not step on the lemming’s heels. The forest’s eerie silence caused Crow to nervously trip on his own feet, falling onto the dirt. “You okay?” asked Bender fretfully. He stumbled his hand to the lemming’s back, watching him pick himself up from the floor. In return, Crow wrapped his arm around Bender’s waist. Their arms remained around one another while they traversed the remainder of the hiking trail, frequently exchanging timid, coveted eyes. The familiar feeling Bender previously blew off as coincidence rose in his hollow core, quashing his brief letdown. He dreaded seeing the obnoxious neon glow of the Tube Transportation System sign, for he didn’t want to let go of his dear Crow, whose relaxed, sleepy head leaned against his side. Seeing the TTS on the horizon, he pinched the lemming’s side to get his attention. 

“Wha—What’s going on?” Crow slurred, turning his neck to see where he was. “I had a crazy dream where…” his voice trailed off seeing Bender’s figure in the moonlight, making the last few steps to the TTS. Bender unwrapped his arm from Crow’s waist and watched him amusingly ruffle his hair and rub his eyes to wake himself up. “Okay,” Crow announced, much more awake now. “before we get back to Planet Express, there’s one more thing I have to do.”

“I heard something shake around in my chest compartment when I fell.” Bender announced, beating Crow to it. Without hesitation, he opened his chest, waiting for the lemming to rummage around. Unzipping his fanny pack, Crow pulled out a mini flashlight and switched it on, examining the robot’s interior. There was nothing unusual he saw with his wiring—business as usual. There was a box of cigars that he always carried with him, as well. It was smooth sailing for the robot’s diagnostics until Crow saw a flat, boxy structure sitting vertically at the back of his chest cavity. Reaching in with his hand, he quickly yanked the mysterious item out—an unused parachute. 

“Ahaha.” The lemming uttered restlessly, dropping the flashlight. “It’s your parachute from the last delivery.” A befuddled look appeared on Bender’s face. “Right when you were about to jump, I was trying to tell you to use the parachute so it could break your fall. You ended up colliding with the ground before I could even say it.” Crow, while slowly closing Bender’s chest cabinet, started to chuckle nervously. Half expecting Bender to not say anything, the other half anticipating him getting pissed off, he was taken aback by his episode of infectious guffaws, progressively getting louder and louder after each second. Crow collapsed to the floor in tears of laughter, slamming his fist against the earth, clambering for air between his exclamations that his stomach was hurting. A few minutes later, the two regained their composure and entered the tube back to New New York City. 

* * *

“Fry and Leela are probably still there waiting for our return. The lights are still on.” Crow rationalized, standing around the corner of Planet Express headquarters alongside Bender. “What do we tell them?” His eyes were wide and ill at ease.

“We don’t bring it up in front of them. It’s that simple.” Bender examined his fingers, snapping them together and creating a small, bright spark. 

“So we’re gonna fabricate a story for them to believe instead?” He waited for Bender to tell him what they would use to fool their co-workers, only to hear nothing from him at all. “Well, I guess I’ll be the one coming up with a tall tale.” Crow decided awkwardly. “Let’s get goi—“ The lemming walked straight into Bender’s torso until slumping to the ground, looking upward. The robot, whose troublesome eyes hung low, blocked the sidewalk using his body. His right hand was planted against the brick wall of the large corporate building while his left was on his hip, his legs crossed over one another. Getting up inconspicuously, he rubbed his forehead, ensuring there wasn’t a bump. 

“If you pull a stunt like what happened earlier ever again,” Bender warned, poking the lemming’s chest with his index finger. _“you’re gonna get it.”_ Presuming that he was in one of his moods again, Crow crossed his arms and pointed his snout up and towards the harrowing, lofty android. 

“Get what?” He returned forwardly, blowing a lock of hair in front of his eyes to the side. 

Bender’s domineering facade fell through, ruminatively slipping his hand off the wall. “...I don’t know yet.” He revealed. Disappointed in himself, he moved out of the way, signaling to Crow for him to enter the building first. He heard the lemming’s footsteps become gradually quieter and hung his head low in abashment, his attempt at flirting with the creature gone awry. Bender wasn’t very direct with his feelings, aside from when he wanted drinks, money, or sex. In this circumstance, he wanted none of the above. He wanted to thank Crow for helping him and putting up with his vexatious self for so long. In the long term, he wanted to tell how he truly felt about him, too. Dejected, he saw no use to communicate either, leaving his declarations unsaid and unheard, festering within his electrical devices indefinitely. While the robot continued to brood, Crow ceased walking and looked behind him, his visage becoming a shade of crimson. He had zero clue as to what Bender was trying to convey, or what he was even referring to. If he was attempting to be coquettish, he didn’t think he failed miserably. 

“C’mon Bender,” Crow bashfully thumbed his cheek. “I think they’ve waited long enough.” Tenuously flinching, Bender accompanied the lemming to the sliding doors of the delivery service structure, which beckoned them to return in open arms. 


	6. Chapter 6

Fry and Leela, who were boredly lounging, immediately turned their heads hearing the ultramodern door open. 

“Bender!” Fry dashed to his robot friend, readying to leap into his arms. The robot sidestepped, causing Fry to collapse onto the ground face first. 

“Not today, meatbag.” He grouched, walking away. “I need a drink.” 

“G-glad to see you back, Crow.” The ginger’s hand staggered, pointing to the exhausted lemming. Leela handed Crow an ice cold bottle of water, the condensation wetting his hand. 

“What on earth happened to you?” The captain wondered. 

“Uhhh…” Crow hesitated, taking a cautious sip, looking everywhere but where Leela was facing him. He was never the type to lie about his whereabouts to his friends, but it wasn’t worth the chance of being interrogated. Bender quickly returned to Crow’s side, drinking a frothing can of beer. More at ease, Crow expelled a breathy laugh, which Bender picked up as a cue for him to take the wheel. 

“Long story short: I jumped off a cliff.” Bender vocalized nonchalantly. 

“It’s okay though!” Crow hopped in, extending and contracting his arms. “He made it out in one piece.”

“That doesn’t explain why you look like you ran a marathon, Crow.” Leela raised a brow, skeptical of her co-worker’s retelling. 

“I tripped and fell down the path trying to see if Bender was okay.” He fibbed, self-assuredly. “You already know I’m a bit clumsy.” Convinced by Crow’s clever lie, Leela brushed off her suspicions. 

“Just be more careful next time.” Crow diligently nodded his head. 

“Leela, wait—“ The 21st century man grunted, picking himself up. “Tell Crow about your idea.”

“What idea?” Bender and Crow quickly asked in unison, the near-empty beer can slipping out of the machine’s clutches, plummeting to the floor. 

“The professor gave us the day off tomorrow, and we wanted to know if you’d like to go out for dinner and drinks. _Fry_ hasn’t figured out a place to go yet,” Leela clarified, bitterly eying her colleague. “so the game plan is that we’ll all meet up here at 7:30 tomorrow.”

“Amy, Hermes, and Dr. Zoidberg will be there too, along with the professor.” Fry added. “It’ll be a full house!”

“I’d love that! Thanks for including me.” Crow ecstatically accepted the young lady’s courteous invitation. 

“Heh.” Bender cracked his metal digits mischievously. “Gives me enough time to find myself a hot date.” While it wasn’t out of character for Bender to be a salacious playboy, being reminded of it made Crow’s heart sink, his feelings for the robot now at the forefront. Sulking, he quietly retrieved his phone from the couch cushion. 

“I should get going,” he hurriedly walked to the exit. “It’s dark already.” 

“You’re walking by yourself?” Fry progressed to the person second closest to the exit—Bender. The bending unit’s head quickly turned, watching his friend despondently look at his cell phone. “You know, Bender and I can—“ The robot roughly elbowed his human friend in the ribs. “The hell was that for?” Fry yowled, rubbing the side of his chest. 

“Sorry, Fry. Didn’t see you there.” Bender dissimulated.

“It’s fine, really. My apartment building is walking distance from here.” Crow diffused, not wanting to make the situation bigger than it really was. 

“Alright, then. Have a good night, Crow!” Fry cordially waved goodbye. 

“Get home safely! We’ll see you tomorrow!” Leela bid farewell. 

While the two employees watched Crow step out of the building, Bender walked away, resentful and unhappy with himself. He took refuge in the far corners of the corporate building, downheartedly igniting his cigar with the click of his fingers. Crow’s feelings were hurt, and it was nobody’s fault but his own. Crow didn’t have to follow him when he ran to the Palisades. He didn’t have to remind him of the parachute and he certainly didn’t have to put his sorry ass back together when he fell into pieces. It disturbed him to his very depths because he predicted Crow would leave him behind, as he always regarded others, including his friends, as expendable and unreliable. A dismal slipstream of cigar smoke flowed upwards through his mouth. 

He wanted to escort Crow back to his apartment, not only to make sure he got there safely, but to embrace him one last time. He wanted to ask Crow to stay with him, to tell him he loved him as much as a robot could ever love somebody, and most of all, he wanted—he _needed—_ to know if he loved him, too. Sighing pensively, he returned from his brief isolation to his two conversing friends. “C’mon, Fry.” He rasped, exiting Planet Express’s premises with heavy steps. 

“Gimme a sec.” Fry told his robotic companion. 

“Is it just me, or is something wrong with Bender?” Leela wondered. 

“I was thinking that, too. I could’ve sworn he looked more beat up earlier today…” Fry placed his hand under his chin contemplatively. 

“You don’t think…?” Leela cut herself off. “Nah.”

“What were you gonna say?”

“Well, I was going to say that maybe Crow gave him a well deserved touch-up.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” The delivery boy scoffed. “He’s very particular about that kinda stuff.”

“Well, whoever did it, they did a better job than the professor.” 

* * *

While sitting on his living room couch picking at a soggy bowl of cereal, Crow heard the buzzing of his apartment’s doorbell. Setting the bowl on his water-damaged coffee table, he approached the door and opened it. To his surprise, there stood Bender, his square pupils darting in every direction, one of his arms resting behind his back. 

“Bender? How did you—who told you where I lived?” Crow jerked his head back and forth trying to comprehend how he got to his residence. 

“Fry did. I asked him for your address.” He answered straightforwardly, struggling to make eye contact with the lemming. 

“...Sorry for looking like a complete mess.” Crow apologized, scratching the back of his head nervously. He wore a baggy shirt and long pants with the _Slurm_ logo patterned all over it. His hair was more frizzy on the left side of his head from sleeping on his stomach. “I woke up half an hour ago, and according to Fry you usually sleep in until two.” 

“Eh, Leela’s looked worse than that on her bad days. You’re fine.” Bender reassured. 

“So what brings you here so early? Are you coming to return something you stole from me in the past?” Crow jokingly interrogated. 

“No, but it’s something better. At least, I think it is.”

“Huh?” 

“Remember how yesterday I told you that ‘If you pull a stunt like what happened earlier ever again, you’re gonna get it?’” He recalled, nibbling his free hand uneasily. 

“Uh-huh, why’d you ask?” Mustering up the courage, Bender made eye contact with his object of affection and revealed his concealed arm, which sported a bouquet of freshly cut red roses. He held them out in bated breath, waiting for Crow to accept them.

“This is for everything you’ve done for me, not only for yesterday, but since we’ve been friends. Thanks for saving my ass and sticking around.” Crow clasped the flowers safely in his hand, his heart rapidly pounding in his chest in elation. 

“Bender, this is really thoughtful of you.” He shyly moved a lock of his hair out of his blushed face, his smile progressively becoming wider and wider. “Thank you so much! I have an empty vase that I’ve been meaning to use, so I’ll put these in there as soon as possible.” 

“I spent my own money on ‘em, so you better like it.” He winked. 

“Are you kidding?” Crow laughed. “I _love_ them!” Fully processing that Crow enjoyed his gift, Bender began to cackle alongside the lemming. Eventually simmering down, he studied the robot tenderly with shimmering eyes. 

“I should probably get going now before Fry gets suspicious. Bye, Crow!” He cheerfully waltzed down the hall. 

“Bender, wait!” Crow beckoned urgently. The robot instantly walked backwards to where he was standing previously. “I’m… looking forward to having dinner with you tonight.” 

“What do you know? So am I.” While internally astonished, Bender’s reply was as suave as it could be. 

“See you later!” Crow waved his hand energetically. 

“No, I’ll be seeing _you_ later!” He pointed to Crow with both of his hands, exiting the space between the door of Crow’s apartment and into the hall. His back leaning against the wall, he slowly tip-toed down the corridor until he heard Crow’s door slam shut. Once the coast was clear, he hollered victoriously, jumping and frolicking for joy. “I _still_ got it!” He repeated jubilantly, skipping down the long hallway. 

It’s funny how situations have their own, unanticipated way of working out in the end. The story of how Crow and Bender fell in love was no different.


End file.
